


I Hope That You Don't Die

by ariastars



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Demonstuck, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-23
Packaged: 2018-03-21 04:50:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3678204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariastars/pseuds/ariastars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world full of demons, monsters, hunters, and humans, danger is around very corner. So when the hunter Jade Harley falls in love with a demon, she's sure she'll get her heart broken, or worse, ripped out. </p>
<p>In a world full of horror, strife, and dejection, the demon Dave Strider is alone. So when he falls in love with that mysterious hunter from the pier, he's sure he'll get a bullet to the chest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jade and Jake Harley-English strode down the street, the rain pelleting their raven black hair and spotting the frames of their glasses. The siblings wore all black, their green eyes glinting with the reflection of the moon.  
  
“So, the pier, yes?” Jake’s voice rang through the air, the sound of his voice seeming to disappear in the wind.  
  
“Yep! There was an attack last night, so I figured we should check it out.” The girl said cheerily, gesturing with her hands. “You should have seen the victim, it was horrible…”  
  
“Which is why we have to get this over with, Jade. I can’t stand to see you get hurt again.” He said, glancing over at the scar tracing his sister’s cheekbone.  
  
“Oh man, Jake. It’s really ok. It’ll be a quick job!” She elbowed him as the pier came into sight, the crashing sound of the sea giving her a calming feeling.  
  
“Ok… let’s go, Jadey, there was supposed to be another attack tonight.” Jake took off running before Jade could even question how he knew that, and Jade followed silently, eventually taking a detour to scale the side of a small gift shop. She crouched on the roof, watching as her brother walked sceptically out into the open. After a few minutes of tranquility, there was a silhouette, flitting out from the shadows below the outcroppings of the small shops that scattered the pier. Jade almost stopped breathing upon seeing the two little orange pinpoints that were the demon’s eyes. She slipped her handgun from her parka pocket, kneeling and moving forward just barely so she could get a better look at her brother’s position. There was a blur of sorts, a figure appearing in front of Jake. The anxious feeling in Jade’s stomach evaporated, replaced with a feeling of adrenaline and excitement. She knew Jake could handle himself, he was a Harley-English, after all!  
  
  
“Well. What do we have here?” The demon hissed, a unnerving smirk on its shadowed face. It took another step towards her brother, its face becoming illuminated by the dim street light. The demon’s face was washed in warm light, showing spiky, blonde hair and pointed glasses. He had a lanky figure, and from what Jade could see, extremely sharp incisors. Jake stared down the demon, unblinking. In a sudden movement, her brother whipped out a gold plated pistol, shooting once at the demon. The bullet hit it’s mark, lodging itself in the demon’s knee.  
  
“Ow.” The demon said flatly, shifting its weight to its other leg. “That hurt.”  
  
“Dandy.” Her brother muttered, stepping back uneasily and shooting again at the other knee. The demon fell to his knees, a bored expression on his face. Her brother then took one step forward, lifting up the demon by the collar. Her older brother may be shorter than her, but he was surely stronger. It must be all that wrestling that he did. “What do you have to say for yourself?”  
  
The demon chuckled, staring down at her brother with slitted orange eyes.  
  
“I brought…” He paused for effect, clearing his throat and looking right at Jade. She could practically feel his eyes boring into hers, making her squint and wrinkle her nose.  
“Company.” Came another male voice from behind Jade, making her jump and scramble to turn around. She found herself glaring up at yet another blonde demon, this one with messy, unruly hair and aviator glasses. He stared back at her for just a few seconds too long before stepping forward again. He peered down at Jade, his arms crossed and his shoulders tense.   
Taking off his glasses, he kept gazing at her curiously with bright red eyes. She didn’t move, frozen in spot. Finally, she spoke, her voice hushed and soft.  
  
“Are you going to help me up?”  
  
“Well, how could I refuse.” The boy smirked, one side of his mouth going up just a tad more than the other. He snapped his fingers, and the top of Jade’s head seemed to be tugged on by an invisible string, making her rigidly stand up.. Once standing up and balanced, Jade threw a punch right at the boy’s neck, her fist connecting with the skin right above his collarbone. The boy staggered back, putting up his hands. “I’m trying to be polite, and this is what I get?”  
  
“You’re a demon, and I’m a hunter. It’s what I do!” She grinned, putting up her fists.  
  
“Fine, be that way.” The boy growled- yes, growled- and leapt forward, bowling Jade over and tackling her to the ground. Once he had her pinned, he smirked, the tips of his incisors poking out from his mouth. She jolted both her head and her knee up, kneeing him in the crotch and headbutting him. He groaned, frowning and going somewhat limp. Pushing him off of her, she stole a glance at Jake, who seemed to be doing a dance of swords and knives with the other demon. Once she looked back at the ground to check on the demon, she was surprised to find he wasn’t there. Suddenly, there was an arm around her neck, holding her in a chokehold. Claw-like fingernails dug into the back of her neck, making her wince and begin to struggle.  
  
  
“Sup.” The boy whispered in her ear, a hint of nonchalance in his voice. Jade tried to choke out a remark, but was silenced but the pressure on her airpipe.  
  
“Jake!” She managed to utter, feebly attempting to stomp on the boy’s feet. Just on cue, her brother looked up at her, his eyes widening in shock.  
  
“Nononononono.” Jake said, beginning to run towards the two. “Put her down, ruffian!”  
  
“Jade, huh? Nice name. Sounds familiar.” The boy mused, gesturing for his brother to come towards him. The demon with the spiky hair appeared in a flash next to 'aviator glasses', putting a hand on his shoulder. “About time, Dirk.”  
  
“Dave, we don’t have time for this, let’s go.” Said the demon apparently named Dirk, a gruff tone to his voice.  
  
“Boooring.” ‘Dave’ droned, raising his hand.  
  
"JAD-" Jake's scream pierced through the night like a dagger, the squawking of seagulls sounding in the distance.  
  
“Later.” The two demons said at the same time, before ‘Dave’ snapped his fingers, and Jade was whisked away.


	2. Chapter 2

Jade woke up in a field of poppies. Which was surprising, considering, an unknown amount of time earlier, she was kidnapped by a pair of demons. Also kind of unnerving, since poppies symbolized death. Fortunately, unlike her cousin John, she was not allergic to pollen. She sat up, looking around. The poppies crunched under her fingers, petals tickling her palms. No people were in sight, just the field of poppies under a peaceful blue sky. There seemed to be no end to the field of red flowers, except for the small wisp of smoke rising in the distance. People…?  
The huntress stood, beginning to trek towards the rising smoke. She was careful to tread lightly, not stepping on too many flowers. Jade respected every living thing, which was exactly why she hunted demons. No heartbeat, no mercy. That was her motto. For the first time, Jade looked down at herself, expecting to see her familiar black parka and jeans. Instead, she was wearing a flowy black dress, strapless and simple. Lifting up the dresses many layers to reveal her hunting boots, she frowned, looking back up at the smoke. A breeze drifted past her, blowing pollen in her eyes and making her blink. Opening her eyes, she was greeted with a familiar sight. Instead of in the same place as before, Jade stood in front of a white picket fence, a feeling of nostalgia washing over her. This was her childhood home, where she lived with her grandparents and Jake! But there’s no way it could still be here, it had burned down when she was 9… 

A muffled singing could be heard from within the house, seeming to draw Jade closer with every note. Putting her hand on the fence, she pushed, the door swinging open with a creak. She walked into the garden, looking around in awe. Even the dahlias that she had planted as a child were there, every detail was perfect. Looking to her left, she saw her frog pond, complete with a few croaking creatures hopping onto the rocks. Letting out a gleeful giggle, she ran up to the door, giving a small knock. It swung open, and a feeling of uneasiness slammed into Jade like a truck.  
  
“Hello?” She asked, her voice quiet and wavering. “Grandpa?” The fire in the corner fireplace was crackling, almost as if to tell Jade to run! Get out! But Jade never was a good listener.  
  
“Ahem.” There was a noise from the big armchair, facing the fireplace. Jade could see a winged, horned shadow on the ground, flickering between human, and monster. “Come here.”  
  
Jade walked forward as if she was in a trance, taking step after step until…  
  
“You.” She hissed, her voice so full of hatred that it could practically burn the figure in the chair. If he wasn’t from Hell in the first place. In the chair sat the younger demon, the one called ‘Dave’. Angrily stepping forward, she tripped over a pile of books, heading on a crash course straight for the ground. And suddenly, there he was, standing above her, with his arms wrapped around her torso. She stumbled back, putting up her fists and hopping a bit on her toes.  
  
“Oh come on, princess. Theres no need to be hostile, I’m only trying to help.” Dave drawled, a hint of a Texan accent in his voice. “And, nice dress. By the way.”  
  
“Oh, shut it! I don’t want anything from you, let me go home!” Jade said, her voice rising. Was he trying to be nice, or just tricking her?  
  
“Do you really want to go home, Harley?” He stepped forward in a flash of light, his face inches from hers.  
  
“How do you know my name?” Jade asked skeptically, squinting and pursing her lips.  
  
“I know a lot of things. Your favorite color, Green. Your favorite animal, Dogs. I know that you play flute, and bass. And I know you think I’m cute.” The boy said, slipping his hands in his jean pockets.  
  
“No, I don’t, and that’s creepy. Now let me go home.” Jade said, stepping up to go nose-to-nose with him. Or she would, if she was 4 inches taller. There was a look of fierce determination on her face, one that burned to the demon’s very soul.  
  
“...Fine.” Dave shrugged, the hint of a frown on his face. He clapped his hands, the noise seeming to echo throughout the cabin.  
  
The fire jumped, a spark landing on the big armchair. It began to burn, engulfed in flames. Jade gasped in horror, a feeling of deja-vu striking her. She began to hyperventilate, her green eyes wide with fear and agony. The demon, with a hint of sympathy on his face, stepped forward, lowering his glasses. His eyes were red, slitted. Jade had seen many red eyes, but not of this shade.  


  


“The only way you can go home without burning is if you dance with me.” He said, holding out a hand. Jade looked into his eyes, a scared look in her eyes. Putting her hand in his, she stared at him, her eyes beginning to water from the smoke filling the cabin.  
  
“This is a nightmare, isn’t it?” She asked, her voice soft and barely hearable.  
  
“Yeah, it is. It wasn’t my idea, it was my brothers. So don’t blame me.” Dave was quick to put the blame on someone else, Jade noticed. Was it pity, sympathy, fear? Who knew?  
“Ok.” She said simply as the two started to twirl around the cabin, only looking away from the demon to cast a glance at the flames now licking the walls. She turned back to look at him, a dangerous look on her eyes. He dipped her, just like when she tripped, pulling her back up as they started to pick up speed. It was a good thing, Jade decided, that she had taken waltzing lessons in 8th grade.  
  
“You’re not bad, huntress. I may just keep you here to dance with me forever.” Dave uttered, twirling her.  
  
“Not a chance, I have a family to get back to.” Jade claimed, her eyes darting to the flames crawling around their feet. Her family wasn’t much, but it was all she had. Her brother, and her two cousins, John and Jane. She would do anything to get to them, even dance with a demon. Dave sneered, his fangs showing.  
  
“Tch. Family.” He rolled his eyes, dipping her again. “Who needs ‘em?”  
  
“Me.” Jade said, looking down to the skirt of her dress. The fire was crawling its way up the fabric, threatening to burn her if it got high enough. Dave seemed to notice this, pulling her close one last time before smiling. A sincere smile this time.  
  
“See you on the flipside, Jade.” He said, before her whole world dissolved in ash and dust.


	3. Chapter 3

Dave Strider’s world was breaking. Tens of thousands of moments, all flitting through his head. All because of her. It made him curse being a time demon. You would think that spending five minutes with a girl wouldn’t make you feel curious about her, but here he was, lying in his bed, facing the ceiling, with his eyes closed, and thinking about a huntress named Jade Harley. Moments flooded his mind, moments of Jade at the kitchen table at her 8th birthday party, moments of Jade falling and scraping her knee when she was 3. There was two moments, however, that stood out to him. The first one was of an alley, lit only by a single streetlight and the moon. Then there was Jade, kneeling on the ground with blood on her hands. In her lap, there was a head, attached to a body, of an old man. Blood dribbled from his mouth, a deep looking wound in his stomach and a slit in his neck. Jade was crying, racking sobs escaping her mouth, shaking her body with tremors like an earthquake. From the shadows behind her, two neon green eyes shone in the darkness. The creature took a step forward, its white feet padding at the ground. A dog? The animal emerged from the shadows, its bloodstained teeth bared. Jade turned around slowly, her eyes holding a mix of anger, grief, and pure remorse.  
  
She screamed something Dave couldn’t hear, gently putting the man’s head down before grabbing a swiss army knife from his pocket, brandishing it at the beast. The animal flared it’s nostrils, taking a step towards Jade. In a single movement, the dog changed into the man on the ground, standing there with its mouth closed and a cruel smile on its lips. Jade recoiled, looking once towards the body, then back to the… thing. Dave assumed it was a demon, with the way it carried itself. And the way its changed. That too. The demon blinked, an invisible knife seeming to drag it’s way across its cheek. Jade shook, taking a step forward and seeing to whimper something. The demon shrugged, speaking for the first time. Jade gulped, the grip on the knife tightening. With a nod, the younger version of Jade leapt forward, sinking the knife into the demon’s stomach.  
  
The demon seemed to be shocked, stepping off of the knife as a visible bloodstain began to emerge on its clothing. Jade stepped back, heaving big breaths and beginning to hyperventilate. Smirking, the demon stepped forward, holding out its hand and speaking something to Jade that apparently shocked her. Her free hand moved up a bit, then fell back to her side. Leveling the knife to the demon’s neck, she sighed, stabbing forward as quick as lightning. In an explosion of ashes and sparks, the demon disappeared, leaving Jade with a pile of gold dust and a bloodstained knife.  
  
The next vision, however, was of Jade sitting in her room, looking slightly older. There were bags under her eyes, her hair was tied up in a hastily made, messy looking bun. When was the last time she had slept? Days? A week? In front of her sat a computer, the screen the only thing illuminating her tired face. Her fingers clawed at the keys, her glasses reflecting the lines of green text scrolled down the screen. One of her hands went up to a vial of gold dust on a chain around her neck, possibly a keepsake from the event of the last moment Dave saw. Concentrating on the computer screen, Dave was able to see closer, reading the text.  
  
 _anonymous user has logged onto the ‘Supernatural Occurrences’ Blog on the 12th of December, 2014._  
 _Hey everyone, its me again._  
  
Jade typed, her fingers trembling. Did this give Jade a sense of purpose, Dave thought? Telling other people about things they shouldn’t know about?  
  
 _I haven’t slept in a week. Researching. Trying to find out more about the supernatural and the dangerous, to protect you all like always!_  
  
This felt familiar, almost as if Dave had read this before.  
  
 _My best friend disappeared. Of course, I never even knew him in person. But we were online friends. I haven’t heard from him since the 14th of April, a few weeks ago. ___  
  
Dave’s heart stopped. April 14th, the day he was turned. But wait, Jade wasn’t done typing yet.  
  
 _He was kind. Told me everything was going to be ok when it wasn’t. His name was…_  
  
Jade paused, taking a deep breath.  
  
 _Dave._  
  
Dave sat up in his bed, his mind snapping from the memory. It all seemed to click in that moment, every little thing about Jade, the way she talked, the reason she was a huntress. It was him. He was her friend. His own memories, the ones he had blocked out, seemed to rush back, days talking through various chatting clients. Scrambling up, Dave straightened his glasses, running from the room not-so-gracefully. He had to find her, to apologize. Running into the kitchen, he found his brother, sitting at the island with a lopsided smirk on his face.  
  
“Miss ‘er already?” Dirk drawled, sipping his mug of coffee.  
  
“Shut up. Where is she?” Dave hissed, standing in the doorway with a panicked look on his face.  
  
“I have no idea, lil bro.” The elder demon shrugged, setting down the mug. Dave walked up to the island, sitting down at one of the stools.  
  
“Dirk. We have to find her.” He said, leaning forward and staring right at Dirk’s eyes, orange, shining behind the darkened lenses of his glasses.  
  
“That’s a you problem. And I have a flyer for a DJ-ing job, we need some cash.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper and sliding it to the younger brother. Dave snatched it up, unfolding it and staring at it for a few seconds.  
  
“Will do.” He said, rubbing his temples. “I’m going to try to sleep.” Getting up, Dave left the room without another word, the girl from the field of poppies still on his mind.


End file.
